The present subject matter relates generally to systems and methods for centralizing the management and control of personal information to the consumer. More specifically, the present invention relates to a marketplace for users to share personal information with businesses by creating and subscribing to privacy policies, joining privacy pools, or promoting privacy policy subscriptions to other users.
The vast quantity of personal information that is generated and monitored has become unmanageable. Countless companies and organizations record and track consumer activities and attributes and the resulting personal information is distributed over a vast array of websites and databases of these third parties. For example, personal information for consumers is tracked by businesses, industries, and analytics systems employed to target consumers with marketing and sales campaigns based on their buying and browsing history. Likewise, personal information for banking customers is tracked and managed by financial institutions to target customers with marketing and sales campaigns based on their spending and money management histories. Further, personal information for medical patients is collected, managed and used by individual medical providers or groups of providers, government agencies (e.g. Medicare) and third party insurance agents and their consultants, to provide personalized medical services.
These third parties have traditionally had separate collection policies that may be difficult or impossible for consumers to manage or control. Consumers have wanted to know what personal information is collected and manage how it is used. Moreover, consumers have wanted mechanisms to share personal information to third parties they trust to receive services they want or need, like personalized deals, medical services, or banking services. However, existing systems do not provide mechanisms for consumers to manage, control, share, or sell their personal information.
Third parties often have a legitimate need for some or all of the data they collect. Third parties often include data service providers that use personal data to provide custom services to consumers. For example, a chain store may use personal data to generate useful deals, a doctor may use personal data to give health advice, and a bank may user personal information to give a discount on a loan, etc. To most efficiently provide these services, data service providers often need up-to-date, accurate, holistic information.
However, personal information collected by third parties is inherently flawed because they do not contain the whole picture of the living habits of any particular individual. Rather, third parties collect only those bits of data from which the third party has direct tracking capabilities; such as when a consumer shares personal information in the purchase of a product. In some instances, third parties may purchase additional bits and pieces of personal information from data vendors. However, personal information from data vendors is also fragmented and incomplete.
Further, data service providers and other third parties have desired to provide consumers greater access and control to their data but have limited means to do so. Consumers have often been overwhelmed by the number of businesses that collect their personal data and may not know where to begin to find and use all of the prior mechanisms created by data service providers and other third parties to permit access and control to their data.
What has been needed is a system that centralizes the access, distribution and control of personal information. Further, what has been needed is a centralized system to learn about one's personal information stored across different databases and websites. Even further, what has been needed is a system to allow data service providers to access users personal information under the control of users.
Accordingly, there is a need for a privacy marketplace system that centralizes the management and control of personal information to the user, as described herein.